Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds for the Wildcats in his freshman campaign last season, and is widely expected to be off the draft board by the midway point of the first round.

As of now, the Raptors don’t have a pick in the NBA draft — which takes place Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. According to SportsNet’s Dave Zarum, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said last week that the team is working to obtain a pick — though landing one early in the first round will likely cost a well-established player.

If the Raptors are truly serious about a change of direction — as evident by the coaching change after their second-straight disappointing postseason exit — perhaps they’ll be willing to do what it takes to land someone like Gilgeous-Alexander in the draft and trade away one of their key pieces away.